Jammer7
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Posts posted by Jammer7
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2 hours ago, Frobby said:
Why couldn’t they have brought up Stowers to spell Hays?
Phillips did not play much for us, strictly a bench role. Stowers should have never come up to sit. He still has many things to improve on, and maybe they felt he was better served playing everyday in Norfolk. Now that he is up, he should be in there 5-6 times a week.
It’s possible @wildcard is right. Perhaps they thought Hays would be healthy sooner and that Mountcastle would not struggle the way he did for several weeks. But with the team struggling to hit, they felt the need to DFA Phillips and bring up Stowers. IDK, that makes a little sense to me, but mostly I’m scratching my head.
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Like many others here, I’m not sure why Phillips was acquired. It could be that they believe they can fix him, just not at the ML level. Then the DFA now. But then, he isn’t really young, and the upside isn’t much really. And he may not get through waivers.
Perhaps they thought he was fixable and now realize he is beyond their help. Maybe it was because they thought they had a deal for one of their OF’s in place, but it fell through.
We don’t know what they paid in the transaction beyond the prorated salary. It’s a head scratcher, based on what we know. Maybe Elias made a mistake. Or maybe we just don’t know what was going on behind the scene.
Welcome, Kyle!
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15 hours ago, ShoelesJoe said:
Mateo’s last 40 games:
.289 /.343 /.562 /.905 OPS
40 games is a quarter of a season, so we’re moving out of SSS territory. At what point should Hyde move him up in the lineup? He’s usually batting 9th, but that’s a waste of this kind of production. And I don’t want to hear about having your second leadoff guy at the bottom of the order. That’s a crock.
The team needs a kick in the pants right now, and moving Mateo into the #1 or #2 spot in the lineup might just do the trick.
As bullish as I am on Mateo, I would keep him in the 7 hole. My reasoning is the quality of his at bats has improved where he is. The league will adjust and he’ll have to adjust. I’m not sure I want to raise the pressure level on him just yet. I want to continue to see growth in his swing decisions and approach.
That said, if Hyde did move him up as you suggest, I think there are positives in that. He will get pitched to differently. I think there are others having more consistent professional at bats than he is and they are currently in the top of the lineup.
I am concerned about Hays, and I might move him down. Not sure if he is still banged up, or what.
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I disagree with the OP. Young pitchers are no certain upgrade, even a Grayson or DL. They take time. Grayson has been injured, and the word was he was about to come up when he got the lat, so the criticism seems misguided.
I do believe Gunnar will be a star at some point soon, but it’s a lot to ask a 21 year old to come into a playoff race. Manny was an exceptional defender, but the bat was not ready yet. He was simply our best in-house option because they had no other resources to deal for a veteran 3B.
I am not at all convinced on Stowers yet. He has a chance to be a solid, if unspectacular, ML regular OF. He will need an adjustment period, and doing that in a playoff race is not a great time.
I would argue that Lyles has pitched very well and that he was not overpaid. But you are entitled to your opinion. He has brought great veteran leadership and a penchant for eating innings. They would not be in the WC race without him. And the mentoring he does for the younger pitchers is of great value as well.
With all of the good things going on right now, the OP just seemed like a needless shot at Elias, who is trying to build excitement in the fanbase for the remainder of the season and the coming years. It was a very bold statement for Elias, who has been usually much more reserved. And somehow that made you critical of him when we are having an exciting year with a vastly unheralded roster.
Please, keep posting. Just don’t expect everyone to agree with you.
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2 hours ago, Roll Tide said:
Wasn’t Crowley a hitting coach? Most managers served as sone other type of coach before becoming a manager.
Derek Shelton was a hitting coach for Cleveland and Tampa before becoming the skipper for Pittsburg. So, I was wrong. There are several recent examples.
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1 hour ago, Roll Tide said:
You got me I was thinking of Ray Miller….getting old LOL
I did as well.
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38 minutes ago, tntoriole said:
Harvey Kurnn.. excellent player, then long time hitting coach in Milwaukee took over in June 1982 when Harry Dalton fired Buck Rodgers as Brewers were 23-24
Under Kuenn, us long term Os fans who were around then remember the rest.. I was at the third game, not the last one .. lol
Other than his brief stint as interim manager, Kuenn served as Brewers hitting coach from 1971 to 1982
“After going 23-24 under Rodgers, the team suddenly took off and went 20-7 in June, hitting an unbelievable .294 as a team. They also hit 47 home runs in those 27 games and averaged over six and a half runs a game.
Some believed the respect Kuenn had built up among the players over his years as the hitting coach made the players want to play well for him. It is known that Yount had a deep respect for Kuenn. Yount had come to the majors at age 18 and Kuenn was the only major league batting coach he had ever known. In 1982, Yount was named AL MVP after batting .332 and hitting 29 homers.
Whatever the reason, the players responded to Kuenn the way Dalton had hoped they would when he hired him. The Brewers went 72-43 under Kuenn to finish with 95 wins.
However, even with that, the season’s outcome came down to the final series of the season. The Brewers were three games up on the Orioles for the AL East lead with four games to play. Those four games consisted of a four-game weekend series in Baltimore. There was a doubleheader scheduled for Friday and single games on Saturday and Sunday.
Baltimore swept Friday’s doubleheader to move within one game of Milwaukee with two to play. They also won Saturday’s game to move into a tie for first. Therefore, the season came down to one game on Sunday to win the division title. The game featured two future Hall of Fame pitchers going against each other.
Jim Palmer, Baltimore’s perennial Cy Young contender, faced Don Sutton, whom the Brewers had acquired from the Houston Astros in a trade barely a month earlier. On Sunday, Yount hit a pair of homers, and Sutton allowed just two runs over eight innings as the Brewers won the game, and the division, by a score of 10-2.”
Great! Thanks. Now, how about recently? What ya got?
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11 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:
It’s possible that he has gotten these suggestions but the way in which those suggestions were delivered may have been poorly done.
Or, as 7mo said, maybe he wasn’t ready to receive it.
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33 minutes ago, 7Mo said:
Without knowing the answer, I'd guess Mateo has always had a poor approach to a well placed slider. I don't think that issue just came up this year. So why hasn't he fixed it previously? I'd think he was always trying to improve as he rose thru the minors.
I don't think our hitting coaches have some magical formula. But I think they have a really good plan for guys ready to make changes. I've seen articles discussing that with minor league affiliates and how at first, they gave each player his choice...do you want grooved fastballs for bp? Or do you want the mix of grooved with pitches intended to get you out?
I think Jammer has it right above and those factors, plus Mateo being determined to get this one thing fixed and the training techniques all came together at the right time. Maybe my wording is bad because I think each player is trying to improve. But there's a difference when a guy is ready to face something he really struggles with and deal with it. That's a different level of determination. When you're ready to face your weakness and deal with it even though it's gonna bring a figurative punch in the nose/embarrassment/failure to get to later success. Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I believe.
I agree. Getting those daily reps allows you to be you, and fail. Then, you have to make adjustments. If the player is walking on egg shells, fearing failure, he will likely fail miserably. The player realizes the need, hopefully the coach develops trust, and they get together and diagnose the issue. Together.
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34 minutes ago, tntoriole said:
Jim Frey ..
After spending two seasons managing Bluefield to losing records, he served as the Orioles’ Midwest scout from 1966 through 1969 before joining manager Earl Weaver’s staff on the Orioles’ coaching staff in 1970. Starting as the bullpen and hitting coach that season, he was a member of the team’s coaching staff for 10 seasons, including six seasons as the first-base coach. During his tenure the Orioles won three pennants and the 1970 World Series.
Way back machine…lol.
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3 minutes ago, Mooreisbetter27 said:
Blue Jays have lost 3 in a row and are 4-6 in their last 10.
I’m curious to see what we do when Wells comes back. 6 man rotation? Piggyback Voth and Watkins? (Seems like they both start to struggle around 70-80 pitches)
Yeah, hard to say which team gets on a roll. The way Bichette was swinging the bat the other night is a good sign for them. They miss Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien this year, but that is still a talented roster.
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1 minute ago, Roll Tide said:
Wasn’t Crowley a hitting coach? Most managers served as sone other type of coach before becoming a manager.
Yes, he sure was. It used to be more common. Charlie Manuel was too, come to think of it. He was the hitting coach that Jim Thome gave the most credit for his success.
I guess what I was thinking about was the past 20 years or so. Not many, maybe 3-4. My thought was that they just got there and have a lot to prove. I think the reason they are open about what they have done, to a point, is that it builds interest in the fan base. And it builds some faith in the environment they have created. There is a buzz now, and that is why we are spending time on a message board writing about it.
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6 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:
I can't imagine these guys not being determined to improve. I mean, sure, you get a guy like Billy Rowell who proves to be a dunce, but I don't think you reach the major leagues because you weren't determined to improve. Kinda goes with the territory.
You would hope so, but so many young players have not failed much before. They were talented kids who dominated their areas, but struggled when they got to pro ball. With the advent of national level competition in travel ball, kids learn to overcome failure a lot more these days.
The drugs and alcohol and other things that sidetrack young men are always out there. Not every player is as driven as some others, no.
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The Yanks had stayed largely healthy, and then they have had several injuries since June. Especially Stanton and the pen.
I’m not sure our pen can withstand the current workload. And our starters have pitched amazingly well for a largely mediocre at best bunch. They’ll need to go deeper in games. We have stayed relatively healthy. That is tough to maintain.
I love the optimism, though. I would say that if anyone takes down the Yanks in the AL East, the Blue Jays have the most talented roster and they have played better since they fired the manager, Rojas?
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13 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:
Right. So that adjustment has helped him become successful lately.
Has no one else offered that to him?
Not sure. But it is the first time he has had an extended period to play everyday. And to play SS. Amazing things happen when you get someone to believe in you and simply give you an opportunity. Perhaps he has grown hungrier over his inability to get a chance.
For Jorge, I think it was a great fit. A team of coaches and players that helped him at a moment in his life when he was prepared to receive and work his ass off. He had some critics say he would lose focus often in the past. I’m not sure what that looked like, but I do not see that now. Emotions can run high for him, but I love the fire. Rougned Odor is a huge part of Jorge’s improvement, I think. A mentor, or sorts, for sure. He looks really comfortable out there. Hyde, Mansolino, and the hitting duo, and so on, they all have done a great job.
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There was already a King Felix. Not sure how much I like “the mountain.” Maybe “Flex?”
I get the criticism about celebrating something so sinister as Omar’s violent criminal nature. I just don’t take it that seriously I guess. It is definitely very Baltimore.
Mo Rivera came out to “Enter Sandman.” That was pretty creepy too, when you think about it.
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2 minutes ago, AdamK said:
It's fun and one more contemporary change marking the team's relevance, but something's about the quiet nature of the whistle along with the fast/big lights doesn't go together.Once the crowds grow the fan noise will drown out the whistle.
Would be cooler to me if the lights stayed darker and built more slowly while Bautista made his way closer to the mound only to reveal him there at full illumination. More scary to me that way.
I like the matador trumpets I've seen video of. Maybe the Mets?
I like the way you’re going there.
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5 minutes ago, Orioles0615 said:
Meh. Id rather something a little more amped up like the Mets do with Diaz
I agree. Maybe have the whistle be louder and do it more than once. I do like the trumpets though for Diaz.
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30 minutes ago, DrinkinWithFermi said:
'Kay
You would have to watch “The Wire.” A very Baltimore reference.
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16 minutes ago, tntoriole said:
Cito Gaston sucks
He does! Anyone else? Serious question.
Was Don Mattingly a hitting coach first?
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4 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:
I can’t read it because I’m not paying for The Sun but I’m assuming the title of the article gives away what happened; Mateo met with the batting coaches and they made some adjustments which and now he’s finding success.
I have always wondered about this, how far away is a .220 hitter from becoming a good hitter? What adjustments can these guys make in order to become successful?
All of these guys are freak athletes, even the 25th man on the roster, a guy like McKenna. McKenna has elite hand eye coordination. As @DrungoHazewoodlikes to explain, the worst guy in the majors is still in the top 99.9% of baseball players in the world.
I mean, we saw it with Jose Bautista. He was here, no one paid him any attention. Bounces around, ends up in Toronto where he gets the right coaching and becomes a big time power hitter.
I would argue that there’s not much from a physical and raw skills perspective separating a guy like Mateo from Bautista. What if Mateo doesn’t land here and get this coaching? What if he winds up in Detroit or Cleveland or Arizona? Does he never figure it out there? What if Bautista never goes to Toronto?
Good stuff. A lot of truth in this. Nearly all of the MLB players, coaches and executives that I have met have told me they are lucky to be here. I thought they were being falsely modest, especially Bryce Harper. But they were being honest. Bob Boone told me once that these players were all talented, some more than others, but the biggest thing was being lucky. He talked about being respectful to the game and appreciating every day in the show.
Some guys swear by certain drills or nutrition or medical procedures or whatever. Brian Roberts and Brady Anderson did specific eye exercises and swore that they were much better because of it. Some guys say ping pong made their hand-eye coordination much keener. There are so many gimmicks and drills. Whatever works, I guess.
There is a huge mental component. The coach has to be a communicator. The players has to be ready to accept the information and the process. The Orioles have done a great job selecting and nurturing their prospects. They have them read books on growth mindset. They have created an environment where humility and a great work ethic are paramount. They look for specific physical traits as well as character and mental aspects.
To your point, I’m not sure all .220 hitters can vastly improve. But when you have the strength, coordination and exit velocities that Jorge has, it surely can give a coach a great starting point. It has a lot to do with process. An everyday routine and approach. All MLB players are skilled, but I am not sure there are many athletes as elite as Jorge in MLB. He is certainly in a class of about the top maybe 5% of past and present players.
MLB organizations, some anyway, have come a long way in the past ten years or so. It used to be, “here’s some ground balls, some BP and a lineup. Go get ‘em.” If they struggled, “Figure it out, kid.” Maybe some veteran would give them some good advice, but it was the dark ages approach. Now, teams are recognizing what actual development can do and the value of it. A lot of very talented players missed because they had no idea how to improve.
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17 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:
If they are viewed as a guy who can turn a .200 hitter in to a .300 hitter etc. Perhaps someone will value them as a manager or front office exec or something.
I am having trouble thinking of a hitting coach who became a manager. Not saying you are wrong, I just cannot remember one. I don’t think that is a huge thing for a managerial candidate, but maybe I am wrong.
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3 hours ago, Roll Tide said:
They are all looking for the next promotion. This gives them a forum.
I don’t think they would be talking about it if Hyde and Elias were not onboard with it. And how would talking about hitting mechanics in a news article help them get a higher job than a MLB hitting coach? Maybe a bump in pay, but a promotion?
I don’t think this is some kind of classified science. It isn’t the mechanics, or even the drills so much, as it is the ability to communicate. There are a whole mess of guys who know hitting just as well as our coaches and better. What separates them is their ability to digest, diagnose, formulate and communicate. To get these guys to buy in to what they are selling. Jorge is buying in.
It takes time for things to become operational in the subconscious. Not to be an active thought in process. Thinking in the moment makes them slow to respond. But simply reacting in the moment instinctively, that is the sweet spot.
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3 hours ago, ManciniFan said:
Cuban players (and international players in general) frequently develop later but can often become stars when they do. It surprised me when the Padres moved on but as your franchise gets deeper….Something to keep in mind for Diaz. Many have written him off….I wouldn’t.
Yeah, agreed. However, when you are competing and need roster spots for guys who actually help you compete, it’s hard to justify keeping guys who might come around at some point. Especially when they are out of options like Mateo was. (Diaz is out of options in 2024, according to Fangraphs.)
We were very fortunate to be the waiver benefactors. I am still shocked that no one traded for him. They have worked hard with him, but Jorge deserves most of the credit. Just an amazing talent.
Mateo may be the best story of the Orioles season...
in Orioles Talk
Posted
Roy, great to see you back on the board. Mateo makes me smile too. It has been a pleasure to watch him begin to tap into his tremendous talent. He is a huge success story.
I don’t quite think he is the MVO this year, but not far from it. For me, that is Adley, Ced, Santander or perhaps the entire bullpen. But his rapid growth offensively, steady and spectacular defense and blazing speed make him the most exciting player on the team. He finally got an everyday chance, and making the most of it. I believed he deserved a legitimate shot, and he got it. Great story.